Rhythm and Flow
by Gray Voice
Summary: Still lingering in the sorrow of a recent heartache, Sayaka goes with her friends to a nightclub, hoping to find some new options. Little does she know she'll find a lot more than she expected... KyouSaya, AU.


A/N: I thought I'd try something kinda new, so I hope this story turned out all right. Happy late Femslash Day, everyone!

* * *

Sayaka stared up at the flickering neon sign on the side of the building in front of her, not entirely certain what to make of it. There was something about its inconsistent lighting that made her unsure of the quality of the establishment it advertised.

"Club Stiletto?" she said, reading the sign's text aloud. "Are you sure about this, Madoka?"

"Of course I am, Sayaka-chan!" the pink-haired girl behind her answered. She was wearing a charming pink and white dress and her hair in pigtails. A taller, raven-haired girl in a simple black dress was standing at her side, holding her hand. "Homura-chan and I have been here plenty of times, haven't we?"

The other girl nodded. "I had my doubts at first as well, but in the end I'm glad Madoka convinced me to go."

Madoka smiled. "You see? It'll be a lot of fun, I promise!"

A gust of wind blew through the group, briefly lowering the already chilly evening temperature. Sayaka brought her arms in close around herself, shivering. She wished she hadn't let Madoka talk her into wearing the shoulderless dress out this time of year. Or that she had at least bothered to bring a jacket.

"So, once I'm inside... what exactly am I supposed to do?" Sayaka asked, recovering from the sudden chill.

"It's a club, silly," Madoka said. "There are lots of people there that want to meet someone new. Just talk to one of them, and then maybe dance a little."

Sayaka sighed. "I still don't see how this is going to make me feel better about everything."

"Come on, Sayaka-chan," Madoka said, grasping one of the girl's hands, "you have to move on. It's not fair that Kamijou hurt you so much, but there are plenty of other good people out there!"

"Madoka is right," Homura said. "You oughtn't give up hope simply because your first infatuation falls victim to outside circumstance. Besides, that violinist was never worth the trouble."

"Homura-chan!" the pigtailed girl scolded.

"...My apologies, Sayaka. I meant no offense," Homura said.

"It's all right, Homura. I'm fine." Sayaka approached the door, grinning back at the other girls. "Well, what are you waiting for? There's no sense freezing to death out here, is there?"

Madoka let out a cry of joy, running up to the blue-haired girl and giving her a quick hug before dragging Homura by the arm into the building. She held the door open, motioning Sayaka in.

Closing her eyes and giving another small sigh, Sayaka followed, the booming pandemonium of electropop and the excited screams of the club's patrons quickly overtaking the stillness of the evening. She halted at the entrance, unnerved by the deafeningly loud music and even a little intimidated by the enormity of the crowd pulsating against one another on the dance floor nearby.

Noticing her friend wasn't following, Madoka turned back and approached her, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Sayaka-chan, come on. It's no good just standing there all night."

Sayaka rubbed the back of her head, grinning apologetically. "Right, right! I was just a little surprised when I actually saw it all, you know?"

Madoka smiled in relief. "Okay. We could get a few drinks first, if you'd like?"

Sayaka agreed, and the group headed over to the nearby bar, each girl ordering herself a brightly-colored glass of alcohol. They sat down at an empty table nearby, all surprised they managed to find one in such a crowded building.

For a while they just sat there, occasionally taking a sip from their glasses. The music was even louder here, and it helped to alleviate the awkwardness of the silence that it filled. A little bit, anyway.

"It sure seems busy today, doesn't it?" Sayaka remarked.

"It's usually like this, actually," Madoka said. "At least, it has been every time Homura-chan and I came."

The blue-haired girl took a long drink from her glass, looking over the crowds in quiet anxiety. "I guess that's why you took me here, huh?"

"I just thought maybe getting out and doing something would be helpful. And if you meet someone you like, that's not a problem either," Madoka said, winking.

"But..." Sayaka glanced around again, not certain how to decide who has interesting and who wasn't. "Am I supposed to just walk up to one of them, or wait for one, or, what?"

"Oh! Er..." Madoka thought frantically, occasionally looking at Homura in a silent plea for help. The raven-haired girl only looked back at her with a stupefied expression, sometimes throwing a shrug in for good measure.

"I'm sorry Sayaka-chan, I don't really know," she finally admitted. "I always came here with Homura-chan, so I can't really give you any advice..."

Homura thought a moment. "If you're unsure, perhaps you should just talk to someone who looks promising. The worst that can happen is they won't be what you imagined."

"Yeah! That's it!" Madoka said enthusiastically. "You can do it, Sayaka-chan!"

"Kyousuke looked promising..." Sayaka said, a touch of sadness creeping into her voice.

Madoka glanced at Homura, worried. "Well, um... You'll find someone better tonight! Yeah, that's it!" she said with as much gusto as possible. "And we'll stay right with you until you do! We're gonna support you all the way, Sayaka-chan!"

"No, that's all right," Sayaka said. "You two go have a good time. I don't want to hold you back."

"You're not inhibiting us in any way, Sayaka," Homura said. "As I hope Madoka has made clear, we're here for your sake."

"Hey now, I can handle myself just fine!" the blue-haired girl said, her voice suddenly ringing with confidence. "I'll be chatting up some great catch in no time, just you wait!"

"Well, all right then," Madoka said with a twinge of reluctance. She took another sip of her drink, finishing it off. "Come on Homura-chan, I think this is a good song."

The two headed down to the dance floor, Homura trying her best to keep up with Madoka and still falling a bit short. Luckily, her date exercised patience, and they both were quickly immersed into the crowds, awkwardly wriggling to the digital beats booming from the enormous speakers surrounding the floor.

Sayaka watched them as they went, smiling a little sadly. She couldn't help but envy her best friend for what she had gotten. It was wrong of her, she knew, but a part of her was almost resentful Madoka had found love so easily while she was left in the shadow of heartbreak. She had tried to keep that bitter little voice quiet these past few days since Kyousuke had rejected her, since Madoka really had been doing all she could to help. It just became a little easier to feel jealous whenever she saw Homura with her, inevitably holding her hand or showing some other cute little sign of affection.

She gulped down the last bit of her drink, hoping it would still her negative thoughts. Madoka and Homura were both right, after all. As hard as it was for her to admit it, Sayaka had to move on, and she wanted to be able to do so by finding someone else. Only, she had no clue who here might be that "someone else." One shouldn't fall in love based on looks alone, after all.

So, it seemed the only option was to meet someone, just as Homura had said. Trying to summon up some determination, Sayaka rose from her chair, walking back over to the bar in the hopes she would see someone who looked worth talking to.

When she got there, she found she didn't. Mainly because all the people Sayaka might've been interested in were already occupied with someone else, and she didn't want to be so rude as to interrupt an attractive stranger's conversation. Even if they were here to meet new people, they wouldn't appreciate someone who was too pushy, right?

Right.

Sayaka realized she was a little hungry as she got to the bar, and decided to look over the snack menu. It was all pretty standard fare, if a little overpriced. She finally ordered a light beer and a small plate of yakitori, despite the fact she knew it wouldn't be worth the 800 yen. It all came pretty quickly, so she took her plate and drink and headed back to her table.

Only when she returned, she found a young woman sitting there. She had extremely long red hair that was tied up into a ponytail (probably more for necessity than style), and wore a tattered hoodie and a pair of torn-up jean shorts. She was gazing off into the air absentmindedly, seemingly unaware of her surroundings.

Sayaka approached her, setting down her drink and plate on the table. "Hello," she said.

The red-haired girl turned her head towards Sayaka, her blank expression turning into a grin. "Oh, so you're the one sitting here, huh? I could tell someone was here before," – she indicated all the empty glasses on the table – "but as they say, finders keepers."

"Uh, right," Sayaka said, a little taken aback. "Well, you're welcome to stay if you'd like." This girl didn't seem the pleasantest type here, but then again, Sayaka was here to meet people. If someone wandered right towards her, she wasn't about to shoo her away so soon.

The stranger shrugged. "I don't really need your permission to stay, but it's still nice to have it. So thanks, I guess."

Sayaka resisted the urge to a take a swig of her beer. This girl was starting to get on her nerves.

"So, um, I'm Sayaka," she said, trying her best to keep a smile on her face.

"I'm Kyouko," the girl said back, flashing an especially toothy grin. "Nice to meetcha."

"Nice to meet you, too," Sayaka replied. Maybe her first impressions had just a been a little harsh; the girl seemed pleasant enough now. "So, uh, do you... come here often?"

Kyouko laughed. "Right, like I haven't heard _that_ one before, lady."

Sayaka swallowed a bit of frustration. She wondered how many times she was going to misjudge this girl tonight.

"But I'll indulge you," Kyouko continued. "Why ruin a classic ice-breaker, right? This is actually my first time here, I heard it was a decent enough place. I've been to better, but it's not a bad club. How about you?"

"It's the same for me," Sayaka said, relieved at that bit of decency in the redhead's speech. "Although, I've never actually been in a club before. It's a little intimidating, actually."

"Well, I'd say you're doing all right so far," Kyouko said. "You're talking up a gorgeous young lady already, arentcha?"

"Yeah, I guess I am." Sayaka was finding it increasingly difficult to keep the annoyance out of her tone. The redhead had probably meant that last remark as a joke, but somehow, coming from her, it just sounded arrogant. She decided maybe it would be better to change the subject a little.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask just now," Sayaka said, "but why are you wearing clothes like that here? I mean, everyone else actually got a little dressed up."

"I'm not really interested in impressing anyone with an expensive dress," Kyouko said. "Besides, those things are harder to move around in. I only come to clubs to dance and get a few drinks on ladies' night."

"I see," Sayaka said. _But if that's true, why's she bothering to talk to me? s_he wondered.

"I guess you could say I'm addicted to this sort of place," Kyouko said. She pulled a candy bar out of her hoodie and tore off its wrapper, immediately taking a small bite. "I just love the atmosphere, you know? All the energy everywhere, it's a total thrill."

Sayaka looked at the other girl quizzically. "Are you... eating a chocolate bar?"

"Yeah? So what?" The redhead bit off a huge chunk of the candy in her hand, loudly crunching on it. "I got hungry, so I'm eating," she said, her mouth still full.

"Did you bring that in with you or something?" Sayaka asked, trying to keep her jaw from hanging open.

Kyouko swallowed. "'Course I did. I got this from a vending machine outside, how else would I be eating it now?"

"They... have vending machines here?"

"No, but they do at the convenience store a block down."

Sayaka raised an eyebrow. "You walked a block from here just to get a stupid candy bar?"

"Hey, it's not that far, and like I said, I was hungry. The food here's too damn expensive anyway." Kyouko eyed the plate of yakitori in front of the other girl. "You gonna finish that?"

"Did you even eat before coming here?" Sayaka asked.

"Yeah. You think I'd try dancing on an empty stomach?" Kyouko's focus on the yakitori grew a bit more intense. "Seriously, you gonna finish that or not?"

Sayaka sighed. "Fine. Go ahead."

A look of joy incredibly disproportionate to the situation spread across the redhead's face and she picked up a stick of the yakitori, still holding the chocolate bar in the other hand. "Thanks a lot," she said, taking a bite out of the chicken.

"You're... welcome?" Sayaka said. The girl seemed far more grateful for that than she had expected.

Kyouko quickly polished off both the chocolate bar and the yakitori. "Really, you don't know how much that means to me," she said, still grinning like an idiot. "I wouldnt've been able to dance right if I was still hungry."

"Just how much did you eat before you got here, anyway?" Sayaka asked.

"Enough for then," Kyouko replied. "Now come on, let's hit the floor!"

She grabbed Sayaka by the hand and dashed down to the dancing crowds nearby, the blue-haired girl's objections apparently going unheard. Sayaka tried her best to keep up, but still ended up dragging her feet here and there.

They arrived just as the last song had ended, finding a bit of space where one group had left. The next song started off slow, just a low bass drum and catchy bar or two from a synthesizer. Kyouko bobbed her head in rhythm to it, anticipating the coming drop.

It hit, and the song burst forth into a full electronic symphony, the drums pounding out a steady beat while a deep, buzzing bass synth sounded underneath a popstar's auto-tuned voice. The redhead threw her arms up into the air, bouncing around in joy. Sayaka tried to match her movements, but there was a certain grace about the way she did it that she couldn't find in herself, a kind of style in her swaying hips she wasn't sure she could replicate.

Now that she thought about it, that sway was a little hypnotic, too.

The song ended, and Kyouko stood still a moment. "Not a bad place to start, huh?" she asked. "Having a good time there, Sayaka?"

"I'm... not sure I'm getting it," Sayaka admitted. "The dancing, I mean. I feel kinda awkward."

Kyouko frowned. "You're just having some fun in a club, there's no technique to it. Here." She stepped up to the other girl, their faces only a few inches apart, and put her hands on her waist. Sayaka noticed her face heat up at the sudden contact, but wasn't entirely uncomfortable with this kind of proximity. Now that she got a closer look at the redhead, she found her strangely... cute.

"All you have to do," Kyouko said, "is to get into the rhythm of the song. Just feel it and move with it, do what feels right. It's all about going with the flow, you know?"

The next song began, pounding out a beat almost as loudly as Sayaka's heart was beating inside her chest. Kyouko kept her hands on the blue-haired girl's waist, swaying her own hips with a natural rhythm that she kept well-synced to the music. Slowly, Sayaka began to copy the movement, now unable to stay focused on the redhead's grinning face.

"Um... what am I supposed to do with my hands?" Sayaka asked in as loud a voice as she could summon up.

"Just go with what I already told you," Kyouko said. She put a hand on Sayaka's chin, lifting her head up to meet her gaze. "Do what feels right."

"A-All right..." The words seemed like something more than advice. They were more like permission, or encouragement. Sayaka wasn't sure what to make of it. Yet, somehow, a slight, burning impulse inside her was telling her to act on those words.

She placed her own hands on Kyouko's waist, feeling the gentle swing of her body to the music. Slowly, her hands worked their way up, sliding past the girl's curves and finally resting on her shoulders. Sayaka did her best to keep her eyes fixed on Kyouko's, forcing herself to ignore the pounding urge to look elsewhere. Despite the amused grin the redhead was wearing, Sayaka could've sworn she was blushing.

"That's it," Kyouko said, still lightly gripping Sayaka's hips as they began to move with the beat. "You're getting it now." In spite of the color spreading across her cheeks, her grin grew wider. "Enjoying yourself?"

Sayaka smiled. "I am, actually." She found herself becoming more attuned to the music, letting it flow through her, her body becoming a vessel for the electronic rhythms. She moved with it, embraced it, allowed it to bind her and Kyouko together in their dance. Her hips brushed against the redhead's, the distance between them growing smaller and smaller.

The song grew quieter for a moment as it began to build up to another verse, and Sayaka slowed her movements in time with her partner's. The impulse inside her was still there, blazing away despite this increased contact. She brought a hand up to Kyouko's face and let the tips of her fingers brush against her crimson hair. It was pure instinct that was driving Sayaka now, every last trace of caution and practicality thrown to the wind. She didn't understand how it was happening so quickly, how she was now doing something she normally would've felt too embarrassed to even imagine with someone she didn't even know an hour ago, but it didn't seem to matter. Sayaka let her thumb trace out a few lazy circles around the redhead's cheek, her nervousness morphing into a hungry curiosity.

Kyouko's smile finally broke at the sudden, intimate touch. The shyness of her blush seemed to transfer into her eyes as she looked into Sayaka's.

"Wh-What are you doing?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sayaka said with a small chuckle. "I'm just going with the flow."

Slowly, a smile returned to Kyouko's face, a gentler one this time. "I was hoping you'd say that," she said. She leaned in closer, her breath warm against Sayaka's skin. "Looks like you're starting to take me seriously after all."

A greater fire ignited somewhere in Sayaka, and she pushed herself against the redhead's body, running her hands across her back. She leaned her head in further and their lips briefly brushed against one another, the wetness lingering even as Sayaka pulled back.

Her lips were tingling, as if electricity were running through them. A part of Sayaka still felt confused at all this, telling her to stay back and not give in. This girl was aggravating, the voice said. She was sloppily dressed, she wasn't even close to charming... yet Sayaka couldn't fight the urges to come closer to the red-haired girl, to let herself by enveloped by her. No, it wasn't that she _couldn't_ fight that desire - it was that she didn't want to.

Kyouko brought a hand up behind the blue-haired girl's head, and they both leaned in again, their lips meeting in a voracious embrace. Sayaka stumbled a little, her knees suddenly growing weak. Her mind seemed to go blank, an empty space for Kyouko's touch and scent to fill. She couldn't tell if any of the countless eyes around them were watching this display, and she didn't care. In that moment, nothing but the sensation of those hot lips pressed against her own mattered.

They parted after what could've been a few seconds or an hour, staring into one another's eyes again. There was a certain intensity, a hunger in Kyouko's gaze that Sayaka understood the moment she saw it. They had both stopped dancing, their hands trembling ever so slightly as they rested on each other's bodies.

"This is a little crowded for this sort of thing, huh?" Sayaka said.

"Oh." Kyouko glanced down briefly, a bit of that intensity fading. "I, uh, guess you're right."

"So why don't we head someplace a little more private?" Sayaka said, a sly smile edging its way across her still-tingling lips. "My apartment's free."

Kyouko brightened back up, grinning back at the blue-haired girl. She clasped her hand tightly, and the two made their way out from the dance floor and towards the exit.

"Hold on," Sayaka said, halting near the door. "I brought a couple of friends with me, I should probably tell them-"

She looked about the dance floor, unable to identify any of the moving figures in the crowds.

"...Maybe I should just send them a text," she said, giving a little laugh.

Kyouko nodded, and the two walked out the door, their ears still ringing from the blaring music.

* * *

Sayaka's eyes flickered open, the light of a new morning pouring into her bedroom. She tried to sit up, but found herself forced back down by an arm snugly wrapped around her. Smiling, she lay back in her bed, looking over to the red-haired girl sound asleep at her side. Her breathing was soft and peaceful, her face utterly content. Sayaka brushed a few stray hairs out from the girl's eyes and she let out a yawn, awoken by the slight contact.

"Sleep well?" Sayaka asked.

Kyouko sat up, stretching her arms as she yawned again. "Yeah, really well, thanks."

The blue-haired girl giggled. "You're not even trying to cover yourself up, huh?"

"Wha-?" Kyouko asked groggily, then glanced down at her bare chest. She quickly lay back down, pulling the sheets up over herself and blushing furiously.

"It's all right!" Sayaka said, laughing. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about now. I saw a lot more than that last night."

"Oh, right," Kyouko said, sitting back up.

Sayaka frowned. "You... do remember last night?"

"'Course I do," the redhead replied. She leaned over and clasped Sayaka's hand, grinning. "I'm really glad you brought me back here."

"Me too," Sayaka said, the warmth of the other girl's words washing over her. She sat up, the air of the room a little cold against her naked skin.

She climbed out of bed, picking a few pieces of clothing out from her dresser. "So, I could take you home soon, if you'd like."

"All right, that's fine," Kyouko said. She looked around the room briefly. "Uh, did you see my-"

"They're right here," Sayaka said, holding up Kyouko's hoodie and jeans. "You might have to search a bit more for the underwear, though."

The redhead blushed again. "You just want me to walk around your room in the buff, dontcha?"

Sayaka giggled as she began dressing herself. "Sorry, but you're just so cute when you're embarrassed."

Kyouko scowled and hopped out of the bed, quickly finding her panties and bra tossed aside by the door. She put them both on, and Sayaka handed her the rest of her clothes.

"You know, I was, uh, sorta thinking..." Kyouko said as she wriggled into her jean shorts, "maybe we could get some breakfast or something on the way back to my place?" She brought them fully up to her waist, fastening the button at the top. "If you want to, anyway."

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Sayaka said. "But first..." She rooted around the objects on top of her dresser, finally producing a pen and paper. "Give me your number," she said, handing them to the other girl.

Kyouko took them, quickly scribbling down a few digits. She handed the pen and scrap of paper back, smiling. "There ya go," she said. "But I want your number, too."

"I'll send you a text before we leave," Sayaka said.

"All right." The redhead opened the bedroom door, glancing out into the hallway. "You got a bathroom somewhere?"

"First door on the left," Sayaka answered.

Kyouko nodded and dashed out the door. The blue-haired girl went to her cellphone, picking it up with the scrap of paper clutched in her other hand. She noticed the "new mail" icon was blinking, and took a moment to look through her messages.

_1 New Text_, the screen read.

_From: Madoka_

_That's so great, Sayaka-chan! I knew you could do it! :)_

_Be sure to introduce us soon!_

Sayaka smiled. It looked like Madoka's support had finally payed off.

She sent a quick reply back to her friend and opened up the "New Contacts" menu, eager to type in the number she held in her hand.


End file.
